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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

MIAMI, November 13, 2012—With over $23.7 million in earnings, jockey Ramon Dominguez eclipsed the single-season earnings record set by Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey in 2003.

For those inside the game, it is at once no surprise and totally appropriate that he set the record while finishing second aboard a selling plater last Friday at the Big A.

According to Daily Racing Form statistics, the placing vaulted Dominguez over Bailey by approximately $3,500. By the weekend that margin was approaching a half-million.

When Mike Smith surpassed Bailey as the winningest rider in Breeders’ Cup history a fortnight ago, much was made of the fact that the number of Breeders’ Cup events has more than doubled since Bailey set his mark in a seven-race event.

Similarly, Dominguez has had many more opportunities to set the earnings record, riding in 500 more races, and counting, when compared to the standard Bailey set nearly a decade ago. And note it’s not quite mid-November.

The circumstances surrounding the accomplishments of the two all-time greats are quite different. At that time, Bailey, like Craig Perret a decade earlier, was “riding by appointment,” choosing mounts judiciously from a few of the top outfits in the country.

It is to Bailey’s credit that he was peerless among the “money riders” of his day, much more in demand than any of his peers when rich, prestigious races were on the line.

In that context, Dominguez must battls daily on the New York circuit with Johnny Velazquez and Javier Castellano, who not only are great riders but have huge, powerful outfits behind them.

Bailey was most closely associated with Bill Mott and MacKenzie Miller, but neither of those Hall of Famers were as prolific in number of entrants as are Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, among others, today.

Every era has its idiosyncrasies, of course, such as today’s inflated purses, especially in New York; it’s no coincidence that Castellano and Velazquez complete America’s Big Three earners. Even Dominguez admits it’s unfair to compare eras.

New York’s Big Three can ride for anyone, of course, but Dominguez actually does ride for everyone. He even rode for, well, me.

Late last year I had a cup of coffee as a Thoroughbred owner. It helped that my trainer had a great working relationship with Dominguez and his agent, Steve Rushing, so he often was given a leg up on our claiming filly, Dubai’s Connection.

One Sunday at Belmont Park last fall, the filly and I both missed the break; I never saw her stumble to her nose at the start until I saw the replay. I spoke with Ramon after the race.

He explained what happened, said that the filly was a real sweetheart, tried very hard and that she might have won had she broken cleanly.

“I hope you will ride her back for us some time,” I said as Dominguez started back to the jock’s room. He turned around and as he walked, smiled and said, “of course, any time…”

It was a humbling experience.

And that is the one word description that best defines one of the sport’s truly all-time greats: Humble.

It’s not the years he spent in Maryland with New York beckoning because he didn’t want to uproot his family, or the fact that until last year, anyway, as far as I know, he drove a Honda. It’s the fact that he gives everyone a chance.

Business aside, the impression Dominguez leaves is that he wants to be, and is, extremely accommodating. And there’s never been a hint of scandal, or acrimony, or any negativity for that matter.

While the numerous opportunities afforded Dominguez have given him a chance to attain “one of those personal accomplishments you dream about,” there also is greatness within those numbers.

According to statistics listed on the Equibase website today, Dominguez has ridden in 1,299 races this year and has finished in-the-money with 733 mounts, or 56% of the time, a figure that leads the nation among the sport’s highest earners.

His 306 victories, a strike rate of 24%, is also the game’s best, all while on his way to leading the nation in earnings for a third straight year.

“Riding a lot is something you get used to,” Dominguez told DRF’s Matt Hegarty. With the exception of a nine-day Christmas break, and the weeks he was sidelined by an injury, Dominguez will ride in New York until year’s end.

And there’s that other thing else that Dominguez has gotten used to; winning, making excellent use of his intelligence, athleticism, daring, superb timing and strength.

Who knows? If he keeps this up, there might even be an Acura in his future.

I’ve seen alot of great jockeys; Pincay, Shoemaker, Stevens, McCarron, Day, Cordero, Bailey, Smith, Velazquez, Velasquez and Vasquez among others in my racing lifetime. Ramon Dominguez is as good as any of them.

But according to my grandfather who took me to the racetrack for the first time at the age of ten, there will never be another Eddie “bananna nose” Arcaro. The only jock to ride two Triple Crown winners(Whirlaway and Citation). The leader with five Ky. Derby, six Preakness and six Belmont Stakes wins. Ramon is still young but has his work cut out for him to match Arcaro.

JP, I don’t get the correlation between Mott--Pletcher and Brown. Mott has sent out 567 starters this year, 92 wins for 16%. Todd sent out 773 with 207 wins for 27%, and Brown sent out 438 with 124 wins for 28%. Ramon doesn’t ride for Todd, and rides for Brown less than 20%.

Upon having more careers, there are more opportunities, but also more physical expense, therefore I think Domínguez is, without a doubt, a great athlete, and I think also is a very good sign that reducing still a lot of time to develop his career, already be mentioned next to names as Eddie Arcaro, I believe that is a good indication about what could happen in his future.

There is a reason why Arcaro rode for the big outfits like Calumet, they regarded him as the best. Just like Bailey for Mott or Johnny V. for Pletcher, you become the big stable “go rider” because you’re highly regarded. With this high standing comes pressure to win. The jockey who rides the big horse is suppose to win. Little credit is given by the public when you win on the favorite and most of the blame goes to the rider when he losses on the “big horse”.

In 2008, I wrote a feature called “Saving a Racehorse” for the Blood-Horse about Chelokee. Dominguez fell off of him that day and failed to corral Chelokee as he galloped off dislocating his ankle. He felt terrible that he couldn’t catch Chelokee.

Now, if you think I’m a nobody now, just think of the nobody I was in 2008! Dominguez still remembers who I am to this day from that story (I haven’t done anything extensive on him since). We spoke for 20 minutes or so about what happened on the track that day in the Grade 3 Alysheba. I say this to illustrate that he’s not just going to remember the Jay Privmans, Jeannine Edwards, and Kenny Rices. He remembers bum reporters from small pubs everywhere.

Yes JP, we certainly do travel in different circles, and sorry if I am a little too blunt. What about Mr. Stevens. As far as I’m concerned he is not only one of the greatest jockeys, but one of the most knowledgeable, and best announcer I’ve experienced.

But despite my traveling in different circles than the king of insiders, as I recall, not only did I find comments regarding Mr. Dominguez on this site, as well as others, in addition to many other respecte forums outside the degenerate circles I travel in. I will now crawl back into the black hole of sin that I reside in.

Are you talking about Stevie Wonderboy Cauthen AKA the Six Million Dollar Man who won that much in only his second year riding? The youngest ever to ever to win the TC? Who got too heavy to ride in the states? Who TOOK THE MONEY AND RAN to England to ride?

Meanwhile who won the feature today at the Big A? The Puerto Rican Wonderhorse! Ridden by who? Ramon Dominguez! yeah they TOOK THE MONEY AND RAN!

The beat goes on....

This heres a story about billy joe and bobbie sue
Two young lovers with nothin better to do
Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
And here is what happened when they decided to cut loose

They headed down to, ooh, old el paso
That’s where they ran into a great big hassle
Billy joe shot a man while robbing his castle
Bobbie sue took the money and run

Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run.....

T, very defensive there. I just said, literally, that I never heard [anyone knock Dominguez]. Want a knock? Here’s one from me: He can, at times, save ground to a fault, running out of racetrack at the end.

Cat, personal demons and talent are not related in my view.

NK, glad you chimed in with those two suggestions. AbsolutEly yes to PVal, I need to think about Antley a little bit. Great? Yes. All-time great? Just not sure (and, no, I haven’t forgotten about ‘the streak.’ Maybe that should be enough.

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